Chapter 784: Shouldering the Responsibility
Game 2 ended with the Knicks securing a convincing 118 to 99 home victory.
Chen Yan finished with 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds, once again delivering an efficient and remarkably stable performance.
Curry, David West, Yi Jianlian, and Jeremy Lin also scored in double figures.
For the Nets, Carmelo Anthony recorded 33 points and 8 rebounds.
Yao Ming finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Deron Williams added 13 points and 6 assists.
Despite suffering a heavy defeat, Brooklyn had little reason to feel discouraged.
The Nets had accomplished their primary objective by splitting the first 2 games in New York.
The series was tied 1 to 1.
Now, if they could simply protect their home court, they would win the series.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, Miami had taken a 2 to 0 lead over Boston.
LeBron James and the Heat had focused their defense heavily on Durant.
Durant was being targeted throughout the series and had averaged only 18.7 points through the first 2 games because Miami constantly sent double teams toward him.
The defensive attention created additional opportunities for Stoudemire, who averaged 33.1 points in those 2 games.
That was exactly what Miami wanted.
The Heat preferred forcing Stoudemire to carry the offense while making every possession uncomfortable for Durant.
Without Rose, Boston had lost another elite scoring option.
Stoudemire could produce points, but relying on him alone was not enough to consistently close games.
In the Western Conference, San Antonio held a 2 to 0 lead over Denver.
The Lakers and Grizzlies were tied 1 to 1.
The Lakers aging roster had become increasingly obvious this season.
They had struggled through the opening round and needed 6 difficult games to eliminate an inexperienced Oklahoma City team.
Now they had already dropped a home game in the 2nd round.
It was easy to understand why Kobe had repeatedly pressured management to strengthen the roster.
In this timeline, Steve Nash was unlikely to join the Lakers.
He already had a championship ring and now seemed content to finish his career peacefully in Phoenix.
Dwight Howard was a much more realistic possibility.
His relationship with Orlando had completely collapsed, and almost everyone expected him to leave during the summer.
Howard also enjoyed the lifestyle that came with playing in a major market.
New York and Los Angeles were both obvious destinations.
However, Chen Yan had repeatedly told Knicks management that Howard was not a good fit.
The concern was not merely tactical.
It was also about personality and locker room culture.
Chen Yan had no desire to bring in someone who might spend every night dragging teammates into clubs and disrupting the chemistry of the team.
The following day, the biggest individual award of the regular season was officially announced.
As expected, Chen Yan was named the regular season MVP.
But there was 1 major surprise.
The vote was unanimous.
Chen Yan received all 131 first place votes.
He became the 1st unanimous MVP in NBA history.
New York had finished the regular season with the best record in the league.
Individually, Chen Yan's numbers had been overwhelming.
He won the scoring title.
He led the league in assists.
He became the 2nd player in NBA history to average a triple double for an entire season.
Given those accomplishments, voting for anyone else would have been extremely difficult to justify.
By the time the results were announced, Chen Yan was already in New Jersey preparing for Game 3.
His phone quickly filled with congratulatory calls and messages.
NBA stars.
Actors.
Celebrities.
Even politicians.
His agent, Bill Duffy, eventually called.
"You really should look at the news," Duffy said with a laugh. "The fans are going crazy over this."
"I glanced at Twitter," Chen Yan replied calmly. "Nothing too special. I would rather spend my time preparing for Game 3."
Duffy laughed again.
"Chen, you have really matured. I still remember the 1st time you won MVP. You practically screamed into the phone."
Chen Yan laughed.
"Bill, when you have 3 MVP trophies, you become as mature as I am."
Duffy chuckled.
"All right. I will leave you alone. Get ready for Game 3."
The headlines spread everywhere.
"The Chosen One! NBA History's 1st Unanimous MVP!"
"Unprecedented! Even Jordan Never Accomplished It!"
"Unanimous MVP! Where Is Chen Yan's Limit?"
"The Most Unique MVP in NBA History!"
Chinese fans erupted when the news reached them.
Chen Yan was already widely regarded as the best player in basketball.
Yet he continued finding ways to surprise everyone.
On May 18, David Stern personally presented Chen Yan with the MVP trophy in a conference hall near the Nets home arena.
The ceremony was relatively modest because New York was preparing for a road Playoffs game.
Chen Yan did not mind.
This was already the 3rd regular season MVP trophy of his career.
Compared with his 1st, the ceremony itself no longer carried the same emotional weight.
After receiving the trophy, Chen Yan briefly addressed the media.
A reporter from CCTV soon arranged an exclusive interview.
"Chen Yan, congratulations on winning another regular season MVP, especially as the 1st unanimous selection in NBA history. How do you feel?"
Chen Yan kept his answer brief.
"Excited. Happy. Grateful."
In truth, he was not overwhelmed with excitement.
But saying he felt completely calm would probably be interpreted as arrogance.
The reporter continued.
"Tomorrow night is Game 3 against the Nets. Do you do any special training on a game day like this?"
"No," Chen Yan replied. "I basically follow my normal routine. I do some light training and make sure I get enough sleep. The most important thing is having enough energy for the game that evening."
"What is your next goal?"
Chen Yan smiled.
"The championship. No question."
"If I do not eventually lift the championship trophy, then none of these other awards will make me completely satisfied."
The reporter moved to another topic.
"Will you represent the Chinese Men's Basketball Team at the Olympics this summer?"
"Of course."
Chen Yan smiled.
"I still have an unfinished mission."
"What mission?"
"You can think of it as helping the Chinese Men's Basketball Team go further in the Olympics."
The interview continued through several familiar questions.
Chen Yan answered each one patiently before finally returning his attention to basketball.
Time quickly moved to the evening of May 19.
Game 3.
As Chen Yan emerged from the players tunnel, boos and taunts immediately poured down from both sides.
"Chen! You might have the MVP, but you are not winning this series!"
"You are going to be crying tonight!"
"We want to see that Game 1 face again!"
"Ready to lose?"
Nets fans were overflowing with confidence.
Winning Game 1 at Madison Square Garden had convinced many of them that Brooklyn held the advantage in the series.
Chen Yan remained expressionless.
He turned toward his teammates.
"Block out the noise."
Everyone looked at him.
"Focus on the game."
The situation was simple.
New York needed to win at least 1 of the next 2 road games.
If the Knicks returned home trailing 3 to 1, they would put themselves in a dangerous position.
Chen Yan understood that perfectly.
But he did not emphasize it to his teammates.
There was no reason to add more pressure.
He would carry that responsibility himself.
....
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